This invention relates to a binder cover, and more particularly, to a heat-activated binding system for loose sheets of paper or like material.
It is desirable, for reports and other types of documents, to bind a group of loose sheets of paper in a binder cover. In one form this could be hole-punched papers in a ring binder, such as a three-ring notebook. In another known form, a heat-staked post arrangement is used. In this arrangement binding strips are applied along a side edge of opposite sides of the sheets, and the strips and text are bound together by posts passing through the text and binding strips, which posts are heat-staked to the binding strips.
Another alternative is to provide a heat-activated adhesive in an electrically operated system, whereby the text material is bound to a cover. One such system is shown in French Publication No. 2546822, Registration No. 8309098. The French system discloses a binder having a spine and front and back covers, loose sheets to be bound therein and electrodes and a heat-activated adhesive along the spine. The adhesive is activated by heat generated through the electrodes which extend outwardly from the binder for connection to an electrical energy supply. In other words, the electrodes extend outwardly of the spine for connection with various electric contacts. The extension outwardly of the binder means that the electrodes are obstrusive, need to be cut off or otherwise removed, may be unsafe and may present appearance problems.
It is the object of this invention to provide a binder system in which, inter alia, the electrodes do not extend outwardly of the binder itself, which is electrically safe and which is commercially acceptable.
These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description, drawings and appended claims.